


Another Lifetime

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ancient Egypt, Happy Ending, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Reincarnation, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22743862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: When the tomb of a female pharaoh is discovered out in the Valley of the Queens in Egypt, an exhibition is brought to Japan to display the tragic love story of two men discovered in the tomb.Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Byakuya are at the exhibition for their own reasons, but they find themselves strangely drawn to one another as they learn more about the love story, which seems so eerily personal and familiar to them both.Epilogue to “Written in the Stars”.
Relationships: Abarai Renji/Kuchiki Byakuya
Comments: 15
Kudos: 44





	Another Lifetime

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a hopeful epilogue for "Written in the Stars". I'd decided that after how sad the ending was, I needed to give our boys a happier ending now, especially since I'm still a little sad over their deaths at the end of that fic.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

_Tokyo, Japan, February 2020._

The exhibition hall is surprisingly crowded today. High school students, university students, young adults, businesspeople, and older people, they’re all here today to check out a brand new presentation and exhibition of artefacts discovered in Egypt.

For Abarai Renji, this exhibition is the perfect opportunity to find some inspiration for tattoo designs. His tattoo parlour has only been open for a couple months, and it’s already become quite successful among the public. But of course, his book of tattoo designs is always ready for more illustrations, so perhaps he can find something interesting to draw for the book.

It’s also a good opportunity for him to meet up with Kuchiki Rukia, his childhood friend who happens to be the same archaeologist who has discovered all these unique artefacts and treasures.

Also coming along with him are his friends, who are here for their own reasons.

“This is gonna make for a really good article,” Hisagi Shuuhei, a freelance journalist, says as he pays his fee at the entrance.

“You know, I’ve always been fascinated with Ancient Egypt,” Ayasegawa Yumichika, a designer, adds. “Hopefully I can find some inspiration for an Egyptian-themed set of jewellery.”

“You do that,” Madarame Ikkaku, a car repairman, tells him. “And what are you here for, Abarai?”

“Inspiration for tattoo designs,” Renji says. “And hopefully meeting up with Rukia again.”

“Wait, what?” Matsumoto Rangiku, a fitness instructor, asks in surprise.

Renji just smiles. “Yep. Kuchiki Rukia and I grew up together until she got adopted by some super-rich family,” he says. “It’s been a while since I last saw her. I wonder if she’ll still recognize me?”

“Well, anyone would recognize you, Abarai,” Shuuhei teases him. “Especially with your hair and tattoos.”

“Oh, shut up,” Renji retorts lightly.

Once they’ve all paid their entrance fees, they enter into the exhibition hall after taking some information guides.

“‘Written in the Stars’...” Shuuhei reads the pamphlet title. “That’s the name of the exhibition.”

“She calls it, ‘a timeless love story’ as well,” Rangiku observes.

Frowning slightly, Renji looks at the pamphlet information.

Apparently, Rukia had discovered the tomb of an unknown female pharaoh from the New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt several months ago. In the tomb, she’d found numerous scrolls and hieroglyph paintings that detailed the love story of two men who were dear to her in her life; a love story that had ended in tragedy, apparently.

Something about that strikes a chord within Renji, and he’s not too sure why that is. But it makes him curious as to how tragic this love story really is, and just what happened in the past.

When they enter the main hall, that’s when they see everything set out to be shown to the public.

There are glass display cases that show off jewellery, riches, and other belongings of the queen. In addition, various papyrus scrolls lie unravelled beneath glass cases with panels that provide translations for the inscriptions beside them. On the walls are several photographs of the hieroglyphics and illustrations from the tomb.

And right in the center amidst the other display cases is one that contains a golden sarcophagus with a well-preserved mummy lying within.

“Damn, she even brought back the mummy?” Ikkaku says, raising an eyebrow. “Hopefully your friend didn’t awaken an ancient curse or something…”

“Seriously?” Renji narrows his eyes. “That only happens in the movies, and this ain’t _The Mummy,_ ya know.”

“Hey, I’m just saying. Bringing an ancient corpse all the way here doesn’t usually end well for anyone.”

“But this wasn’t some evil demonic entity that’ll drink your blood or whatever,” Renji tells him. “This was a real human woman, a queen, who lived over three thousand years ago in one of the greatest empires of the ancient world. So come on, have some respect, man.”

Yumichika raises an eyebrow. “I never knew you were so passionate about these kinds of things,” he says.

“He does have a point, though,” Rangiku says. “Besides, all those mummy’s curse jokes are so old, anyways.”

They leave it at that in favour of exploring the exhibition and reading the facts and information on display.

It’s really fascinating to walk through the exhibition and see all the artefacts that have been found so far, and the descriptions of some of the things found within the tomb of this female pharaoh.

However, what’s surprising is that this unknown queen, nicknamed ‘Queen Ru’, had never been next in line to the throne.

According to one of the scrolls, she had an older half-brother who had been the crown prince… up until he’d committed a crime that had been much too unforgivable. But what he’d done isn’t described; it’ll only come up in the next part of the hall, which focuses exclusively on this ‘timeless love story’.

Even so, this little detail almost strikes a chord within Renji, making him frown as he wonders just why it sounds so familiar to him.

This part of the exhibition only offers details of Queen Ru’s life, both as a princess and as the pharaoh of Egypt. From what has been recorded, the kingdom had prospered quite well under her rule, even after a war against the Hittite Empire that had resulted in a draw.

“Looks like she got a lot done as a queen,” Rangiku murmurs. “Too bad we don’t know enough about her, though. Not like Cleopatra or Hatshepsut.”

Renji nods, still reading the panel that translates the scroll he’s examining as Rangiku moves to check out the display case with the mummy.

Right then, he notices someone approach the case from the other side, and he looks up curiously.

On the other side of the case is a graceful, sharply-dressed man with long black hair and cool gray eyes. He wears a crisp business suit, looking quite classy and elegant, and he examines the scroll with a thoughtful frown upon his face.

Normally, Renji isn’t one to pay too much attention to strangers. However, he can’t help but be struck at how graceful and gorgeous the man across from him is.

And at the same time… there’s something that’s so eerily familiar about him. Renji doesn’t know what it is, but he swears he’s seen the man somewhere before.

As if noticing Renji’s gaze, the man looks at him somewhat disdainfully as he raises an eyebrow.

“Is something wrong?” he asks, his baritone voice aloof and aristocratic.

Renji blinks, and quickly averts his eyes in mild embarrassment. Feeling the stranger’s critical gaze upon him makes his cheeks heat up, and he shakes his head.

“S-Sorry…” he says. “I got a little distracted.”

When he glances back, the man is frowning slightly at him, but it’s not a scornful or angry frown. It looks more thoughtful than anything.

“Abarai Renji?” His thoughts are interrupted at a voice he’ll recognize anywhere.

Turning around, Renji sees Rukia approaching him, a thrilled smile upon her face.

“Rukia!” Renji greets her, grinning excitedly as he pulls her into a hug.

“Oh, Renji! It’s been so long!” Rukia says happily, hugging him back before pulling away. “I didn’t think I’d see you here!”

Renji shrugs with a smile. “I thought I’d try and see you again today,” he says. “Plus, I’m looking for inspiration.”

“For what?”

“Tattoo designs. I run my own tattoo shop now.”

Rukia grins. “Of course you would,” she says. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Rukia.” Right then, the sharp-dressed man approaches them. “You know this man?”

He regards Renji not with judgement or disdain now, but with curiosity. And again, seeing him strikes something within Renji at how familiar he looks.

 _Have we met somewhere before?_ Renji wonders, trying not to stare at the man for too long. _Oh, who am I kidding? As if I’d even know someone who looks so… rich._

And indeed, the man looks quite rich. There’s no way that Renji would even know someone so classy and elegant in his everyday life.

“Ah, Nii-sama!” Rukia greets. “I was just catching up with an old friend of mine!” She then turns to Renji. “Renji, this is my adoptive older brother, Kuchiki Byakuya. He’s the current CEO of the Kuchiki Banking Corporation. And Nii-sama, this is Abarai Renji, my childhood friend and a current tattoo shop owner, it seems.”

Byakuya holds his hand out, his expression still impassive. “A pleasure to meet you,” he says.

 _Byakuya…_ Even his name sounds strangely familiar.

Renji nods, taking his hand and shaking it. “A pleasure to meet you too,” he says, releasing his hand.

He then turns to Rukia, trying not to let his strange feelings overwhelm him. “So anyways, how was Egypt?” he asks.

“Oh, it was fantastic!” Rukia gushes, her eyes sparkling. “The things I found in this tomb! All those jewels and riches may be exciting, but it’s this recorded love story that is truly the highlight of my discovery and of this exhibition. Renji, you are in for a real treat today…”

And so Renji lets Rukia lead him around the exhibit, content to listen to her stories about her time in Egypt as he learns more about this female pharaoh.

* * *

Kuchiki Byakuya can’t help but let his eyes linger upon Abarai Renji as he and Rukia walk away to one of the display cases. While he’s not really one to stare so impolitely at strangers, there’s something about Renji that intrigues him right now.

The man himself is quite striking in appearance, with his long red hair and the black jagged tattoos that stand out against his slightly-tanned skin. But it’s not that.

There’s just something so oddly familiar about him. Why he feels so familiar, Byakuya doesn’t know at all.

As far as he knows, he’s never been acquainted with someone possessing such a rough appearance. In fact, even his name seems to strike a chord within him.

Though it’s hard not to deny how attractive Renji is.

Shaking his head to try and dispel his thoughts, Byakuya continues making his way around the exhibition that details the life of Queen Ru, the female pharaoh whose tomb Rukia had found several months back.

He remembers the day that Rukia had called him from Luxor several months ago, excitedly telling him about what she’d discovered in the Valley of the Queens. He’d been quite proud of her for finding such a major discovery; it’s not every day one has the opportunity to find a well-preserved tomb from Ancient Egypt, after all.

So when Rukia had implored him to come to the exhibition of Queen Ru, he’d planned a day-off from work to come and visit.

But looking at some of the details of this queen’s life, especially the details that mention her older half-brother… Byakuya can’t help but find it so eerily familiar.

Apparently, Queen Ru’s half-brother had been the crown prince, and he had fallen in love with a serving girl in his youth. Sadly, the serving girl had passed away from disease after the prince had fought his grandfather for five years, all for the right to take her as a fiancée. Heartbroken, the prince had then hardened his heart to prepare to ascend to the throne, up until he’d committed an unforgivable crime.

Something about that… it feels so weirdly familiar to him.

 _It appears that being royalty wasn’t as glamorous or wonderful as it appeared…_ Byakuya muses to himself.

He examines a display case full of jewellery, and that’s when his eyes land upon a bracelet made of turquoise.

His eyes widen slightly. And in his head, he hears a distant declaration of “Royal Scribe”, followed by a cheering crowd. And then he’s struck by strange visions: visions of splendid palatial luxury, of sweet and passionate kisses, of the weight of gold jewellery on himself… sensations that are so oddly familiar.

And seeing that bracelet only intensifies this sensation of déjà vu.

That bracelet… has he seen it somewhere before? But that’s impossible; it’s his first time seeing all these artefacts. So why is it that he can somehow recognize such a piece of jewellery?

He can’t ever recall owning jewellery like that before.

Did Rukia somehow show him a photo, and he just forgot about it? No, that can’t be it. Byakuya would definitely remember if Rukia had shown him photos, and she never did show any photos of her finds from Egypt.

“Nii-sama!” Rukia approaches him, snapping him out of his thoughts. “How do you like the exhibition so far?”

Byakuya turns to look at her, and he notices how hopeful her eyes are.

“It’s a wonderful display,” he tells her honestly. “You’ve certainly found a treasure trove, Rukia.”

Rukia smiles. “I knew you’d like it,” she says. “Really, I was surprised at how intact the tomb was. Wherever she chose to be buried, she definitely chose a good location.”

“By the way, did you ever show me any photos of what you found?” Byakuya asks her.

At that, Rukia looks somewhat confused. “No, I didn’t,” she says. “I told you, I wanted it to be a surprise for when you got here.”

“Right. My apologies.”

So if Rukia didn’t show him any photos… then how come that turquoise bracelet seems so familiar to him?

“Honestly, when I was translating her scrolls where she talked about her half-brother, I was a little surprised,” Rukia says as she and Byakuya wander through the hall. “Some of the details about him kind of reminded me of you.”

Byakuya raises an eyebrow at that. “Is that so?”

“Yes. I mean, from what she wrote about him, the crown prince had been fairly hot-headed in his youth, but after the death of his beloved, he became quite stoic and aloof,” Rukia recalls. “He apparently seemed quite cold and closed-off from everyone else, but he was well-educated, physically skilled, and he was very warm to those he cared about.”

Byakuya frowns slightly. Indeed, that does sound so eerily like him.

He finds himself briefly struck by a vision of being sealed in darkness, of strong arms holding him close, and a voice telling him, “I won’t stop searching for you”.

Something about that is so oddly familiar, and Byakuya closes his eyes to try and dispel the visions from his mind as he recalls what intrigues him the most about Rukia’s discovery: her description of the ‘timeless love story’ she’d found on the tomb walls and in some of the scrolls.

“You had mentioned that you’d found some kind of love story, didn’t you?” Byakuya asks her. “Can you tell me more about it, Rukia?”

“Oh, but of course!” Rukia eagerly leads Byakuya to the next part of the exhibition. “In fact, it’s right this way!”

* * *

By now, Renji has come to the ‘Written in the Stars’ exhibition, which focuses on the love story, and the more he explores it, the more he feels a strong and eerie sense of déjà vu.

This part of the exhibition has photos of the tomb illustrations hanging upon the walls, along with display cases that house the belongings of Queen Ru’s half-brother. And in addition to those, they also show the belongings of another man; a Hittite man, apparently.

Apparently, around 1450 B.C., there had been a war between the Egyptians and the Hittites, which had resulted in the latter’s defeat. Several Hittites had been brought back to Egypt as slaves, including one young warrior who had “possessed hair of the brightest red ochre, and whose body had been adorned with black patterns all over”, as the scroll describes.

It also reads, “such a powerful-looking man had been given to the Crown Prince on his twenty-fourth year. It had been a hostile first meeting between them, as the prince had allowed the warrior to fall into a pond right before the entire court. I had been appalled at his actions, yet at the same banquet, my half-brother had gifted me with his favourite bracelet as he proclaimed me as his royal scribe”.

In the photo of the next tomb illustration, there’s a man with long, ochre-toned hair, and jagged black lines upon his body.

Renji frowns at the picture, trying to ignore the strange feeling he has. But in his head, he hears a snarling voice growl out, “but I am showing you all the respect you deserve… none!”, and something about it sounds so eerily familiar.

Shaking his head, he moves on.

Queen Ru had apparently gotten close to the Hittite warrior, to the point that he’d willingly saved the lives of herself and her lady-in-waiting from an aggressive crocodile along the bank of the Nile River. And out of gratitude, the crown prince repaid the warrior by making him into a representative of the Hittites in Egypt, with the promise to let him and his people go once he ascended to the throne.

Something about this story continues to strike a chord within Renji, especially when he gets to the display case that shows off some of the Hittite warrior’s things.

There’s gold jewellery in the case, which he’d worn in Egypt. In addition, there are several papyrus scrolls with reports of how his fellow Hittites were being treated.

It’s truly amazing how there are so many artefacts that prove the existence of this love story. But it’s so weird just how familiar they all seem. But out of everything on display, it’s the story itself that is quite fascinating… and truly very tragic.

The crown prince had gotten quite close with the Hittite warrior, and they’d ended up falling deeply in love with one another. But they had been torn apart by the prince’s impending engagement to a Nubian princess, and when he’d tried to run away with his lover, the prince had been caught and entombed alive as punishment, with his name being destroyed from everything as well. As for the Hittite warrior, no one knew what had happened to him, or whether his escape had been successful or not.

For some reason, Renji feels like there’s a lot more to the story than what is described. All the illustrations of the prince and the warrior look quite intimate and suggestive of lovers, but again, there is definitely a deeper story to it.

He finds himself struck by a few more odd visions: visions of a peaceful water garden with lotus flowers, of a foreign melody in an ancient language sung by a beautiful woman, of the sun beating down upon him and arid desert heat… and of a beautiful man with long black hair who regards him fondly, who laughs at his snarky comments…

He shakes his head, trying to rid himself of such images.

Eventually, Renji finds himself reading the translation of the scroll that the then-Princess Ru had written before her ascension to the throne.

_Despite being the one to order the destruction of Brother’s name from everything in Egypt, Grandfather had broken his own law on his deathbed. He passed into the next world, his final words being Brother’s name. Now, I have ascended to the throne, and I shall rule as how Brother would have. His love story with the Hittite shall never die, not as long as I am queen._

Renji finds himself sighing softly, his heart aching a little. He feels so bad for the prince; to be lonely for so long, to have his love and happiness crushed with the burden of duty, and to die such a cruel death… it’s truly painful.

“It’s quite tragic, isn’t it?” A familiar baritone voice asks.

To Renji’s surprise, it’s Byakuya.

 _What’s he doing here?_ He wonders.

“It is,” Renji agrees.

That’s when he notices that the expression on Byakuya’s face seems rather subdued and sad.

“I feel sorry for the prince,” Byakuya continues, his voice unusually gentle. “To have the burden of being a living god on Earth upon your shoulders, to never be allowed to find your own happiness… it sounds so difficult.”

Renji frowns slightly. “You sound like you know what he’s gone through,” he says.

“My life is a more subdued version,” Byakuya simply says. “Even then, I understand just how this prince felt.”

Nodding thoughtfully, Renji looks back at the photos. “I wonder what happened to the Hittite warrior,” he muses.

It’s so strange how he’s able to talk so casually with this rich-looking businessman, despite not being so close to him. But at the same time, he feels comfortable with him, as if he’s known him all his life.

“Realistically, the warrior might have been killed in his attempt at escape,” Byakuya says. “Or maybe he was fortunate enough to escape successfully.”

“Or maybe he abandoned his escape attempt and went back to die with the prince,” Renji suggests.

He’s a little surprised with himself for suggesting that, and feels a bit foolish for such a theory. But for some reason, he finds himself briefly hit with visions of darkness and cold, of holding someone close to him… someone who looks so strangely like Byakuya… 

However, Byakuya doesn’t look annoyed or unimpressed. Instead, he looks thoughtful at Renji’s suggestion.

“What makes you say that?” he asks.

“It sounds like the warrior loved the prince just as much,” Renji explains. “The queen herself wrote how he’d been hurt during the days leading up to the prince’s wedding, and from what he sounds like, he doesn’t seem like someone who would just abandon the one he loved.”

Byakuya just raises an eyebrow. “Interesting,” he says.

“It’s impressive just how they were so willing to die for love,” Renji continues, raising his eyes to meet Byakuya now. “For them to give up their lives for each other… they really must’ve loved each other so much.”

“You’re right,” Byakuya agrees. “It sounds like the Hittite warrior had been a source of true joy in the prince’s difficult life. I cannot imagine the pain he must’ve gone through when he had to marry another.”

“And he willingly gave that up,” Renji says. “He abandoned his own wedding ceremony in favour of fleeing with the warrior.”

Something about this story… it feels so strangely personal to Renji, as if he himself has lived in the warrior’s shoes. Throughout this whole exhibition, he’s found himself recognizing a lot of the artefacts, as if he’d been there over three-thousand years ago.

He’s always felt like he should be searching for something… or someone, rather. Renji doesn’t know why, but for as long as he can remember, he feels as though he must find someone.

And looking at Byakuya right now… he’s starting to feel as if he’s found what he’s looking for. That constant reminder lurking in his mind is now settling down for good, and all the pieces in the puzzle are starting to fit now.

 _Could it be…?_ Renji wonders. _Could it really be him?_

He has to make sure it’s him for real, though. But he doesn’t want to come across as strange or anything.

He hears his own voice in his head promising to search for someone through a thousand lifetimes… and in his head, that familiar person becomes clearer.

Looking down at the display case, Renji decides to test it out.

“If I must search for you through a thousand lifetimes, I will gladly do so,” he murmurs, loud enough that only Byakuya can hear it.

When he glances back at Byakuya, he sees not confusion, not annoyance, but pure surprise in his eyes, followed by a spark of recognition.

And Renji finds himself smiling gently at Byakuya, his heart beating faster as he sees his eyes soften slightly.

It’s him. It really is him. After searching for thousands of years, Renji has found Prince Byakuya at last.

_Finally… I’ve finally found you._

* * *

For a moment, Byakuya wonders if he mishears Renji’s words. But they quickly become clear in his mind as he fully registers the words. A man, looking so much like Renji, holding him close and whispering those words to him as his life had faded away… 

Byakuya looks up at Renji in surprise, and right then, everything hits him at once.

This story had seemed so strangely personal to him at first, and it had seemed to tie in with his constant instinct to search for someone. But he’d gradually found himself recognizing so many of the artefacts and memories in the scrolls, but as if he’d been living in that time. And when he looks at Renji now, when he sees the joy in his eyes… it all becomes clear.

Renji has kept his promise, after all. But of course he would.

That’s what Byakuya has always loved about him.

A smile crosses Byakuya’s face as Renji looks at him hopefully.

“It really is you…” he whispers, his heart fluttering against his chest. “Renji of Hattusa.”

A wolfish grin crosses Renji’s face. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Your Highness?” he asks. “But I’ve finally found you now.”

Just seeing that grin on his face has Byakuya feeling at home almost instantly. “I suppose we have a lot to talk about,” he says, his cheeks growing warm.

“Would you like to come out with me for dinner or something, Your Highness?” Renji offers him, still teasing.

Byakuya nods, smiling gently. “Call me by my name, Renji,” he tells him. “I believe we’re well past that stage now.”

With that, the both of them hold hands as they make their way to the exit of the hall, where Renji’s friends and Rukia are waiting for him.

Upon seeing Renji and Byakuya holding hands, the strawberry-blonde woman just raises an eyebrow with a smirk.

“Oh, and just who is this, Renji?” she asks. “I never knew you had a boyfriend!”

Renji just grins. “It’s a very long story, but… I finally found the one,” he says.

Rukia looks quizzically at Byakuya, who simply smiles at her.

“I’ve finally found who I was searching for all along,” he tells her, enjoying the way his heart beats faster as he says that.

And this time, Byakuya will never let Renji go.

**Author's Note:**

> Yep, Renji and Byakuya have been reincarnated into modern-day Tokyo, and now they have a better chance of being with each other for real. It's kind of like the musical _Aida_ in that sense, where Aida and Radames end up reincarnated and discover each other at a museum in the present day. I do hope I managed to pull it off well enough, though!
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


End file.
